Posted by Melanie Ryan

August 3, 2016

In a third-party survey conducted by the ITAM review and sponsored by Cireson with 114 respondent organizations located in 23 different countries, surprising findings relating to software and hardware asset management were revealed. Topics included Hardware Asset Management (HAM) maturity, Software Asset Management (SAM) maturity, and ITAM business drivers, as well as general sentiment towards over-licensing, over-spending, and key performance indicators.

The largest number of respondents were from the U.S. (54.5%), while the UK, Netherlands, and Australia were also well represented demographics. Businesses from the small to enterprise range took part in the survey, with the largest segment of responses coming from the mid-market size (1,000-4,999).

Additionally, various verticals provided for a well-rounded data-pool, including finance, education, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, professional services, and others.

Key Findings from the Survey Included:

76% of organizations surveyed believe they are over-licensed

Organizations today are maturing their ITAM practices, with 71% of organizations looking to integrate ITAM Service Desk Processes

While ITAM maturity is becoming a main focus for IT, 77.3% of organizations have not identified KPIs to measure success and/or progress

The top three biggest drivers for ITAM include vendor audits, governance, and cost-cutting

The results of this survey also reinforce findings from other top IT research experts, including Gartner. According to their findings, software license optimization can reduce software costs by 30%. Optimizing software configurations, utilizing a robust SAM tool, and recycling licenses are just a few of the ways Gartner recommends reaching such saving goals.

Commenting on the findings of the ITAM Review survey, Paul Sutton, Joint Co-Founder at Cireson explains, “Seeing the results of this survey was really exciting for us because it re-affirms our belief that Asset Management needs to be a key component of IT department best practices. Not only is it more important than ever due to the evolving way we consume hardware and software, it’s also an often overlooked source of over-spending and over-licensing – and with vendor audits increasing each year, companies just can’t afford to ignore the importance of ITAM. We were especially interested to see that organizations are realizing the importance of maturing in this realm and that with the right tool, KPIs, and people behind it, ITAM can really impact organizations and their bottom line.”

To view the infographic built around this survey or to see the survey in its entirety, click here.

Explore Cireson Asset Management solutions for Microsoft System Center here, as well as free community apps built for asset and service management here.